7 Wonders finalists unveiled
22nd July 2009
Table Mountain, the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef are among the 28 finalists in a global online poll to find the ‘New Seven Wonders of Nature'.
The campaign follows the success of a similar vote to find the ‘Official New Seven Wonders of the World’, run by the New7Wonders company in 2007.
That poll, which saw the Colosseum, Taj Mahal and Great Wall of China make the cut, proved immensely popular, attracting over 100 million votes.
And it’s thought the latest competition could attract up to a billion online and telephone votes before the winners are announced in 2011.
The 28 finalists have been whittled down from a public shortlist of 77 nominees by a panel of experts.
The panel will now take a backseat and the final seven will be chosen in their entirety by public vote.
“This campaign should contribute to the appreciation – to the knowledge – of our environment and not just the one in our country but worldwide,” says Bernard Weber, founder of New7Wonders.
World-famous landmarks such as Mount Kilimanjaro and Australia’s Uluru feature among the finalists, while lesser-known spots include the Mud Volcanoes of Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates’ Bu Tinah Shoals.
A ‘Reserve List’ has also been created, including destinations such as the Atacama Desert, Christmas Island and Mount Olympus.
Candidates on the Reserve List could be promoted if one of the official finalists is suspended or eliminated from the competition.
The 28 finalists are:
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